How To Save A Life
by cowbell2011
Summary: What if Catherine never became a CSI? How would her life pan out? AU fic. Will be Cath/Sara eventually too.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is going to be a fic centred mainly around Catherine, but it will be a Cath/Sara fic eventually. It's AU, where Catherine never became a CSi and didn't have Lindsey but is still married to Eddie. And fair warning, it does contain scenes of drug use and scenes of a sexual nature. You have been warned!**

* * *

Catherine gazed into the mirror as she applied her lipstick, not happy at all with the reflection that stared back at her. It wasn't that she disliked her job as such. She enjoyed dancing and she knew she was damn good at it; the amount of money she earned told her that much. It was just that she couldn't help thinking she could be doing more with her life. If she was completely honest with herself, as a child if somebody had told her she would be taking her clothes off for money in her early thirties she would have laughed in their face. Her mom had wanted her to go to college and get a degree, become a doctor or a lawyer or something that they could be proud of. Now, her mother barely spoke to her and she had no idea who her father even was.

As she coated the most recent bruise on her arm with makeup to hide its presence her mind inevitably turned to her husband Eddie. She knew deep down he was a good guy, otherwise why would she have married him in the first place? He was just stressed at the moment with his record company struggling to survive; that's why he had started hitting her. Besides, if she egged him on and deliberately wound him up, she deserved it didn't she?

The faint beat of the music from the club filtered through into her tiny grimy changing room and she took it as her cue to make her way on stage. It wouldn't do to keep the crowd waiting. An unhappy crowd didn't tip as much as a happy one, and she needed that money for after work when she was due to meet Rocky.

Rocky wasn't exactly what you could call a friend, more like somebody Catherine could depend on when she found herself in a tight spot. He also supplied her and Eddie with their regular doses of cocaine. He would be bringing the gear to the club with him tonight and if she didn't make enough money to cover the bill...well, she wasn't prepared to take up Eddie's suggestion of how Rocky should be paid alternatively.

Taking one last look in the mirror Catherine ran her hands over her smooth stomach, nodding happily at her body before exiting the changing room. As she made her way down the narrow corridor and reached the edge of the stage, the familiar bright lights blinded her and she could hear wolf whistles already at the mention of her name. As her trademark song began to play she sashayed onto the stage and began moving to the music. One item of clothing came off, swiftly followed by another. Without even thinking she continued her routine, keeping her eyes glued to the far wall like she always did. It was only when a person walked through her line of sight did she get distracted and followed them back to their seat. Seeing a woman in a club like this wasn't unusual, especially in Vegas, but this woman's gaze seemed to pierce Catherine and sent a shiver down her spine. The woman was with a group of friends who seemed too busy joking with each other to notice their companion's intense gaze in Catherine's direction. The moment was only broken when a barmaid caught the woman's attention by offering her a drink. Catherine hesitated only briefly before continuing with her dance, only this time her eyes remained on the mysterious brunette in the corner rather than on the wall.

* * *

The alley was dark and quiet as Catherine stepped into it, but she could see the outline of Rocky leaning up against the brick wall a few feet down. Swallowing hard she approached him cautiously, nodding a hello in his direction when he smiled at her.

'You have the money?'

Catherine couldn't meet his eyes and looked around the alley desperately for some sort of inspiration. It had turned out to be a quiet night in the club and she was about 100 dollars short of what she needed. There was no way she could have rung Eddie and asked him for it; he had no money whatsoever and relied on her to put food in his mouth and a roof over his head.

'Can I just have less than what we agreed?'

Rocky laughed, a burst of his bad breath blowing into Catherine's face. It took all her willpower not to lean away. She didn't want to piss this man off any more than she had to.

'It doesn't work like that Kitty Cat and you know it. Do you have the full amount or not?'

The nerves had now well and truly settled in Catherine's stomach as she nervously shook her head. Rocky responded by stepping away from the wall with a serious look on his face. Now that he was no longer slouched he towered a good foot over Catherine and made for an intimidating figure.

'You know...Eddie told me that if you didn't have the money there were other ways you could pay. In fact, he highly recommended it.'

Rocky sneered in Catherine's face as the unmistakeable sound of a zipper filled the alley. Catherine tried to take a step back but Rocky grabbed her arm quickly, preventing her escape. She looked longingly at the traffic passing by the end of the alley. If she screamed it was highly unlikely anybody would hear her anyway. She turned back to Rocky to find him holding out a bag of the white powder that she craved so badly. Taking it quickly she mumbled a thanks before handing over all the money that she had. When his grip on her arm didn't loosen she looked up at him fearfully.

'Get on your knees. Now.'

* * *

Catherine tried to open and close the front door as quietly as possible so as not to wake Eddie. She knew he would be asleep by the time she got home. He always was. Placing her bag and keys on the sofa she went straight to the kitchen and searched out Eddie's stash of whiskey that he kept hidden on top of the fridge. She took a few huge gulps, swilling the amber liquid around her mouth to get rid of the disgusting taste before spitting it out into the sink. Eddie would beat her black and blue if he knew she had drank some of his alcohol so she topped it back up with water, hoping he would be too drunk to notice the next time he drank from it. Wandering back into the living room she pulled the small bag of cocaine from her purse and sat on the edge of the couch gazing at it quietly. Her thoughts soon turned back to the first time she had ever tried the drug.

* * *

'_Ed? Eddie? You home?'_

_Catherine had only left for work a few minutes ago, and Eddie had been right behind her claiming he was going in to the studio so she hadn't expected him to answer but as she entered into the living room what she saw made her stop in her tracks. Eddie was bent over their coffee table beside another man snorting a hefty line of cocaine. _

'_What the hell Eddie? What do you think you're doing?'_

_Eddie was on his feet in a second, towering over her, his spit hitting her face as he shouted at her._

'_You're supposed to be at work! What the hell are you doing back here?'_

_Eddie's eyes were wide and staring, his pupils dilated. As Catherine tried to take a step back, Eddie grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her down to the coffee table. The other man in the room was watching the entire exchange with a great deal of trepidation and looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here._

'_Snort some. Now. That way I know you won't rat me out to the police you little bitch.'_

_The redhead tried to wriggle out of her husband's grasp but even whilst high he was way too strong for her and pushed her head down onto the table with a bang. A hand found its way around her neck as she came face to face with a line of white powder and without even thinking she rolled up a dollar bill and snorted._

* * *

That had been a few months ago and since then Catherine had become well and truly addicted. She took cocaine most nights, always with Eddie. He used it more than she did but he wouldn't allow her to do it without him. The one time she had tried to do that he had beaten her so badly she hadn't been able to go to work that night. And because of that they hadn't had any money for food for a week, causing Eddie to beat her again. That week had been the longest of Catherine's life and the one and only time she had ever considered leaving her husband. She had thought long and hard about it but decided not to in the end. After all, she loved him didn't she?

Drawing her attention back to the bag of cocaine, she turned it over in her hands before fingering the seal at the top. Eddie wouldn't notice one line's worth missing would he?

'You better not be thinking of doing that without me.'

The sound of Eddie's voice so closer to her ear made Catherine jump so badly that she dropped the drugs on the floor. As she bent down to retrieve them Eddie grabbed her arm, pulling her all the way down onto the floor and kneeling beside her.

'You just remember who's in charge here. Now, sort me a line out and get me some dinner. Oh, and hold back on yours. You're looking a bit chubby today love.'

Catherine bit back the tears that were threatening to fall and simply nodded, trying in vain to ignore the searing pain that was shooting up and down her arm. Once she was released she scrambled up from the floor and into the kitchen, not allowing the tears to fall until she had slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know if I should continue :)**


	2. Chapter 2

The next night found Catherine sitting in front of the mirror in her changing room at work once again, except this time the bruise she was attempting to cover up adorned her left eye rather than her arm.

She sighed as she dropped the concealer back down into her bag. It was no use, there was no hiding it. Her boss was never going to let her dance like this. She would miss out on a nights pay, meaning she wouldn't be able to pay Rocky again. The thought of having to repeat what she had done the previous night in order to feed hers and Eddie's addiction made Catherine feel sick to her stomach but she couldn't see any other choice. If she didn't return home with the cocaine Eddie would simply beat her again.

Sighing heavily Catherine grabbed her bag and prepared to face her boss, who she could hear talking to somebody just outside her door. She hadn't even bothered getting changed, she was so sure he was going to send her home. Flinging the door to her changing room open, she was surprised to come face to face with not only her boss but also a heavy set middle aged man sporting a detective's badge. Immediately her defences were on high alert. Did they know about the drugs? Had they already been to her home? Or worse, to Eddie's studio?

'Kitty Cat this is Detective Brass from the LVPD, he needs to ask you some questions so I'm giving you the night off tonight.'

She nodded in Detective Brass' direction, not even bothering to extend her hand in a show of politeness. This man's distaste for her was written all over his face and it was clear he thought very little of her. She couldn't blame him to be honest. To him she was just a stripper in a seedy nightclub with a black eye that for some as of yet unknown reason had attracted the attention of the police. She wouldn't think much of herself either in that situation. Pulling the door shut behind her she followed Brass down the corridor, grateful that he had at least chosen to take her out the back way so that none of the customers in the club would see her. If word got out that she had been taken to the police station for questioning it would affect her popularity and consequently how much money she earned and she couldn't have that. She was already frantically thinking of a way to explain this to Eddie without him taking his anger out on her again, the last thing she needed was for whatever this thing was to affect more than one night's worth of wages.

The ride to the station was short and quiet, but not for Catherine's lack of trying. On a few occasions she tried to engage Brass in a conversation to try to find out why he wanted to question her but every time she spoke he simply grunted in response so eventually she gave up and slumped against the passenger window. As the bright lights of Las Vegas flashed by her window Catherine began to get more and more nervous. She tried to calm down by telling herself that if they were going to arrest her for anything, they would have done so already and Detective Brass would have brought back up with him but it didn't help one little bit. The fact of the matter was she had absolutely no idea why she was about to be questioned and the only thing waiting for her when she got home was a probable beating.

As the car pulled to a stop in the parking lot Brass opened the door for Catherine and she followed him into the station. He led her to a small interview room where she took a seat on one side of the table, expecting him to take the other. She was surprised however when he leaned against the door frame and motioned for somebody else to enter the room and she came face to face with the mysterious brown eyes that had captivated her so much the previous night. Catherine's mouth fell open in shock as the woman came to a standstill in the doorway. The two women stayed like that for a minute simply staring at each other until Brass coughed awkwardly to break the tension.

'Do you know her Sara?'

The sound of Brass' voice seemed to snap the woman that Catherine now knew was called Sara out of her trance and she shook her head vehemently, sending Catherine a warning glance that clearly meant for her to go along with the story.

'No...I thought I recognised her as an old school friend but it's not.'

Seeming to accept Sara's explanation Brass nodded and resumed his position of leaning against the door frame. Sara crossed the room and took a seat opposite Catherine, throwing an open file on the table between them. Instinctively Catherine looked down at it as it came to rest in front of her but immediately wished she hadn't. On top of the pile of papers was a picture of Rocky looking very dead indeed. She felt the bile rising in her throat but clamped down on it immediately. It wouldn't do to be ill in front of this Sara woman. Catherine's reasons for not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Sara was something she wasn't quite prepared to face up to yet. There was something about this woman that intrigued Catherine, even though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She didn't consider herself to be gay or even bisexual, but she found herself wanting to know more about Sara and this confused her greatly. Pushing the picture of Rocky away from her she raised her eye's to meet Sara's, noticing the way the brunette was scrutinising her black eye before looking quickly away.

'I didn't do this if that's what you think, so why am I here?'

'Oh really? Then why is your hair and DNA all over him?'

Brass had leaned menacingly over the table on Catherine's side as he spoke, causing the redhead to lean away from him. She wasn't quite prepared to admit just why her hair and DNA was all over Rocky, but she wasn't prepared to go to prison for his murder either so she settled for keeping her silence for now.

'Jim...can you give us a sec please?'

Brass nodded curtly and left the room as Sara closed the file still on the table, covering up the gruesome picture in the process.

'Mrs Willows...did the victim...uh, Martin 'Rocky' Rockwell do that to you?'

Sara motioned to Catherine's black eye and the redhead touched it absently as she shook her head.

'Call me Catherine...please.'

'Alright, Catherine. Then can you explain to me how your hair and DNA came to be on his body? It would really help you if you could explain that.'

Catherine stared down at her nails as she debated what to do next. Finally settling on an edited version of the truth, she played with her wedding ring nervously, unable to meet Sara's eyes.

'We uh...I guess you would call it 'hooked up' last night.'

Finally having the courage to look up, Catherine expected to see disappointment or dislike in the brunette's eyes but they were slightly playful as a smirk adorned her face.

'I see. And what time was this?'

'Around 1am.'

The smirk disappeared off Sara's face then and Catherine began to get worried that she had said something wrong.

'Coroner puts time of death at 1am. Are you sure you didn't see anything untoward?'

Catherine shook her head and began to panic. The situation was going from bad to worse and she needed to think fast. Something suddenly popped into her head and she flicked the file back open to take another look at the picture. Ignoring the gory parts, she focussed on the item she remembered seeing the first time and pointed to it excitedly.

'There. That. There was a man wearing a shirt made up of that same patterned fabric in the club that night. He must have killed Rocky.'

Sara inspected the area of the picture where Catherine was pointing and nodded, making a few notes in her diary. When she didn't appear to be about to say anything Catherine nudged the picture a bit nearer to her.

'Aren't you going to test it for DNA? Do a fabric comparison test? You should get back to the club and check the CCTV tapes for footage of the guy I'm talking about.'

Sara's head snapped up as Catherine reeled off her suggestions and the brunette narrowed her eyes as she eyed the redhead curiously.

'How do you know so much about forensics?'

Catherine shrugged, fingering the edge of the table with a perfectly manicured nail whilst cocking her head to look at Sara.

'I read a lot of magazines. There's a lot of waiting around in my uh...profession.'

The two shared a knowing look and Catherine smirked at the blush that coloured Sara's cheeks. She was dying to speak to the brunette in private to find out just why she had been at the club that night.

'Uh...yeah I guess so. Well you certainly know your stuff Catherine. I think that you are free to go now, but don't leave town just yet. In case we have more questions or...you know...we can't solve the case without you.'

Catherine laughed lightly and this time felt herself blushing at the brunette's attempt at flirting. Rising from her seat she followed Sara out of the room and past a scowling Brass until she found herself back outside in the parking lot.

'Well Catherine, I guess this is goodbye for now. Take care.'

Catherine nodded and offered a small wave before watching as Sara disappeared back into the police station. The woman confused her greatly and she knew that in time she would need to figure out why, but for now she had bigger problems to think about. Like how she was going to explain all this to Eddie.

* * *

'I'm telling you Sara, she's guilty. I can feel it.'

Sara sighed as Brass accosted her in the reception area as soon as she had said goodbye to Catherine.

'She didn't do it Jim. Let it go.'

Sara tried to side step Brass and leave him in the hallway but he matched her movements, preventing her from passing him. Eventually the brunette threw her hands up in defeat and leaned against the wall.

'She was wearing a wedding ring, but the vic wasn't her husband yet she hooked up with him. She has a black eye and obvious signs of cocaine abuse. Isn't it obvious?'

The look on Jim's face told Sara all she needed to know so she decided to elaborate further.

'If you want my opinion, that poor woman is in some sort of abusive marriage. She's no killer.'

'How the hell did you get all that just from one interview?'

'I guess you've had to live it to see it in others.'

Brass had no answer to that, and could only watch as Sara disappeared down the corridor.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Not as long as the previous two, but equally as enjoyable I hope. Remember, reviews make me update quicker :)**

* * *

Sara was currently on cloud nine. She had closed two cases today, and that put her one ahead of Nicky in the race for top CSI this month. With only a couple of days to go until October, it was unlikely either of them would catch and close any more cases in such a short time frame. It had been almost a year since Sara had won CSI of the month, with Nick and Warrick's competitiveness usually pushing them way ahead of everybody else so this was a good day for Sara Sidle indeed. Her first case had been a simple open and shut B&E. It had only taken her a day to process all the evidence and haul in the suspect, something which didn't happen very often at all. And her other case had been helped along by some rather unexpected forensic knowledge from her witness, this Catherine Willows.

Sara had been enthralled by this woman when she had been to the club to see her dance. Her friends had encouraged her to get a private dance, even offering to pay for it but Sara had lost her nerve at the last second. It had turned out to be a good thing too, when the next night she had walked in to the interrogation room only to come face to face with the very same woman. It had been awkward enough with Brass in the room, having to hide the fact that she had seen this woman before. That awkwardness would have increased tenfold if she had indeed gone ahead with the private dance. Catherine hadn't seemed too bothered by it though. The way she had analysed that picture of the victim and picked out key bits of evidence, Sara would have sworn the woman was a trained CSI if she didn't know any better.

And the black eye on Catherine's face, that had concerned her no end. All the signs of domestic abuse were there, and she felt the irresistible urge to help this woman, but she couldn't get too close. Catherine was a witness in a murder investigation after all. And even though they had arrested a suspect this evening and the case would likely be closed in a few days, it still would not do to get too close to this woman. She was straight, was married, had a probable drug addiction and took her clothes off for a living.

'Boy, I sure do know how to pick them.'

Sara muttered under her breath, and it was a good job too, because Brass chose that exact moment to pop his head round the door of the lab she was currently working in.

'Talking to yourself again Sidle?'

Brass chuckled and didn't wait for a response before stepping further into the room.

'I need you to come with me to the hospital. There's been an unexpected twist in the Rockwell case.'

* * *

She looked so vulnerable lying there on the hospital bed wearing nothing but a gown. Various tubes and machines surrounded her, but they couldn't hide the multitude of bruises that littered the redhead's face, neck and arms.

'She has three broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a mild concussion. Those bruises are fresh, and we've had our suspect in custody for over six hours now. I think we've got the wrong guy.'

Sara shook her head absently as she continued to watch Catherine through the window of her room. A few nurses were still crowded round her bed, taking blood pressures and dressing wounds when she noticed Catherine start to stir.

'This has nothing to do with the case Jim, trust me. Her husband did this.'

Giving Jim a look that left no room for argument, Sara gritted her teeth and entered the room. The nurses took her silence as a hint that she wanted to be left alone with their patient and filed out one by one. Once they were alone, Sara took a seat next to Catherine's bed and waited for the dazed redhead to focus on her.

'Where am I?'

'You're at Desert Palm. You were beaten to within an inch of your life. Who did this to you Catherine?'

Catherine shifted slowly in an attempt to roll away from Sara but only succeeded in causing herself a great deal of pain. Sara laid a hand on her arm gently to prevent her from trying to move again and Catherine settled for simply turning her head away from the brunette.

'I fell down the stairs.'

Sara had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing at the ludicrous statement. She wanted this woman to trust her and laughing at her wasn't going to achieve that.

'Catherine...I've worked enough cases in my career to know domestic violence when I see it. Did your husband do this to you?'

Her question was met with silence but the unshed tears shining in Catherine's eyes and her quivering bottom lip told Sara all she needed to know. Taking a deep breath she laid a supportive hand over the redhead's.

'I can help you, if you let me. I can make sure he never hurts you ever again.'

The internal debate that Catherine was having was written all over her face, and finally after a long few minutes she opened her mouth as if to speak and then promptly closed it again, her gaze fixed somewhere over Sara's shoulder. Sara felt the redhead's hand tense underneath her own before pulling away quickly. Turning her head, she saw a man watching them through the same window she had been standing at previously and immediately she knew it was Catherine's husband. When a doctor distracted the man Sara quickly flicked her gaze back to Catherine, speaking quickly and quietly.

'Catherine, I can help you, I promise. But you have to work with me. You can't lie for him anymore. Do you trust me?'

The two women stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity as Sara waited for Catherine to make a decision. The words 'don't get too close' reverberated around her brain over and over again but she continuously pushed them to the back of her mind. This woman needed her help, regardless of anything else and that was the important thing here. She tried to urge Catherine to make a decision, silently begging her with her eyes, knowing the door to the room would be opened any second by her husband and the moment would be lost. Finally, with one last look at the window Catherine's gaze returned to Sara's and she offered up a weak nod.

'Please, help me.'

* * *

Sara tried to make herself look as big as possible as she stood in the doorway to Catherine's hospital room, closing the door behind her and blocking the entrance for the man who now stood before her.

'I'm Eddie Willows. That's my wife in there. Let me in please.'

The confirmation that this indeed was Catherine's husband caused a surge of hatred within Sara and she had to use all of her available willpower not to take the bastard down there and then.

'I'm Sara Sidle. I'm a CSI with the LVDP and I've been assigned to investigate your wife's assault. Do you know who did this?'

Eddie laughed out loud and Sara clenched her fists behind her back, forcing what she hoped was a convincing smile onto her face.

'She wasn't assaulted. Is that what she told you? The dumb bitch fell down the stairs, is all. Now let me see her.'

Eddie took a step closer to Sara and she stopped him with a hand on his chest. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and one look at his eyes told her that he was high too.

'She's still groggy from the drugs, she can't talk yet. I have to take a statement first, then you can see her afterwards. I suggest you go and sober up then come back in the morning.'

Eddie towered menacingly over Sara and despite nerves taking over her entire body she glared right back at him, as if daring him to make a move. When he did finally make a move, Sara couldn't help but flinch as he punched the wall mere inches away from her head.

'You better be gone when I get back.'

Sara didn't say anything, simply making an obvious movement of resting her hand on her gun at her hip. She watched as Eddie's gaze followed her movement and a sleazy grin appeared on his face. He laughed once more, before stumbling away down the hall. Once he was out of sight, Sara slumped against the wall, letting out a relieved sigh.


	4. Chapter 4

Catherine watched Sara and Eddie's exchange from her hospital bed with groggy and tired eyes. Sara seemed completely calm throughout their conversation but she could tell that whatever she was saying was infuriating Eddie no end. She sensed he was going to raise his fist a split second before it actually happened and couldn't help but flinch along with Sara when the dull thud signalled his fist connecting with the wall. Catherine was used to Eddie's fits of rage by now and could read him like a book. Not that it had helped her one little bit this time. Thinking hard she tried to remember any details about how she had come to end up in hospital but try as she might, nothing would come back to her. The doctors had told her she might suffer from some mild amnesia with her concussion and that it was nothing to worry about but she couldn't help but be concerned. Sara came back into the room and the redhead tried to offer up a small smile in appreciation of the CSI making Eddie leave but it must have come out like a pained grimace because Sara immediately looked concerned and crossed the small distance between the doorway and her bed in a flash.

'What's up? Are you alright? Is it your ribs? Do you need more pain medication?'

Catherine shook her head to indicate it was none of those things and chuckled lightly, despite the pain it caused in her chest.

'You're cute when you babble.'

The words were out of her mouth before she even realised she was saying them and the silence that followed after was deafening. Sara looked almost as shocked as she felt, her mouth opening and closing like a fish and her cheeks turning a deep crimson in embarrassment. If the ground had opened up and swallowed Catherine at that very moment she would have been delighted, but as it was she had to settle for coughing uncomfortably and shifting slightly onto her side so that she was facing away from the brunette.

Why had she said that? _Did_ she find Sara cute? Of course not. She was straight. And married. So why had she said it?

Her internal debate was making her headache even worse so Catherine decided to just forget about the reasoning behind her little outburst for now and carry on as if nothing untoward had happened. Turning back to Sara, she noticed the other woman was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, as if she didn't know what to do with herself.

'Thank you.'

Sara stopped fiddling with an imaginary thread on her sleeve and looked up curiously.

'For what?'

'For getting rid of him. For promising to help me. But most of all, for not treating me like some cheap whore like most people in your line of work do.'

Catherine closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, but one still managed to escape and make its way down her cheek. She brushed it away furiously, cursing herself inwardly for becoming so emotional in front of an almost stranger. When she finally opened her eyes, Sara was looking intently at her with those deep brown eyes.

'You're not a whore Catherine. You're uh...well, you're actually very good at your job.'

With everything that had happened in the last few hours, Catherine had completely forgotten that she had first seen Sara whilst at work.

'My friends dragged me there for a joke. I don't normally go to that sort of place I swear. Not that there's _anything_ wrong with that sort of place anyway. What I mean is...oh for fuck's sake. Shutting up now.'

Sara looked down at the notepad resting on her lap, a blush covering her cheeks once again.

'You're babbling again Sara. But don't worry, I know what you mean. I think.'

This drew a small smile from Sara until she became business-like again, pulling a pen from her CSI vest and flipping her notepad open.

'I'm going to take your statement now. Do you think you can do that?'

When Catherine simply nodded Sara chewed on the end of her pen thoughtfully.

'Before we go on, I need you to promise me one thing.'

Catherine sighed, having a fairly good idea what was coming. Sara was a trained investigator and if she hadn't already figured it out, she definitely would when she visited her house to collect evidence.

'I'm done with the drugs. They come hand in hand with Eddie and I want them out of my life. Both of them.'

* * *

Catherine stirred sleepily, gasping when her movement caused a jolt of pain in her chest around her damaged ribs. She guessed it had been a couple of hours since Sara had taken her statement and left with the promise that she would have Eddie behind bars by the end of the day. The brunette had lingered awkwardly in the doorway for a few minutes when she thought Catherine had been asleep, but the redhead had been watching her through half open eyes with great interest. There was no doubt that the woman was good at her job, and Catherine had faith that she would indeed find and arrest Eddie before the day was out. But whenever the brunette was around her, her usual confident manner seemed to desert her. Catherine was good at reading people, and she knew that, along with the blushes and babbling, meant that Sara was probably attracted to her. How that made her feel was another matter entirely. She decided to push it to the back of her mind and forget about it for now. This woman was helping her to get her life back on track, neither of them needed the extra complications of the brunette's attraction right now.

Now fully awake, Catherine allowed her eyes to roam her hospital room for signs of any visitors. Finding none she glanced towards the window at the far side of the room, her heart stopping dead in her chest. Standing on the other side of the glass watching her intently was Eddie. He looked angry, and she could tell by the way he swayed slightly that he was still drunk. As he reached for the door handle and entered the room, Catherine tried to reach the call button above her bed but the pain in her ribs prevented her from doing so. Looking frantically back to the window she tried to catch the attention of a passing nurse but the woman was too engrossed in the patient chart she was reading. Eddie approached the bed slowly with a sleazy grin plastered across his face.

'Now now Catherine, aren't you happy to see me?'

He laid a hand over her own, squeezing tightly. To anybody that might look in on the pair, it would seem that a caring husband was simply caressing his wife's hand, but Catherine winced against the pain as Eddie squeezed harder and harder.

'What did you tell the police bitch? You better not have grassed me up.'

All Catherine could manage was a shake of her head as the pain in her hand became too much and she finally succeeded in pulling it out of Eddie's grip. He simply laughed at her, looming menacingly over her with an arm braced each side of her body. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he breathed heavily, his nostrils flaring in anger. She closed her eyes in fear of what he might do next, tears falling freely down her face. Suddenly, she heard a grunt from her husband and opened her eyes to see him lying face down on the floor with Sara's knee shoved unceremoniously into the back of his neck. Eddie kept trying to struggle, but every time he did, Sara simply applied more pressure with her knee.

'Eddie Willows, it gives me great pleasure to say that you are under arrest. Take him Jim.'

Relief flooded Catherine's features as she watched Detective Brass take her husband away. Sara's arms were around her in an instant, the brunette whispering soothing words of comfort in her ear. It was all Catherine could do to hang onto the younger woman with all of her remaining strength.

* * *

'You have GOT to be kidding me.'

Nick and Warrick watched uneasily as Sara paced angrily back and forth across the break room. Grissom, having been the bearer of bad news, lingered in the doorway ready to make a quick escape should the brunette's anger become directed at her.

'I'm sorry Sara, but Mrs Willow's statement is not enough. Unless there is another witness, or the husband admits to the assault, he'll go free tomorrow morning.'

Sara paused long enough in her pacing to kick an unsuspecting chair halfway across the room, causing the two men sitting on the couch to flinch. She grabbed her jacket from the table and pushed past her supervisor, calling over her shoulder as she hurried down the hall.

'I'll get you your evidence. Just don't let that bastard go before I get back.'

Grissom watched until the brunette was out of sight before turning to the two guys who were watching him with a somewhat bemused expression. He shrugged his shoulders at them and handed each of them an assignment slip. Nick inspected his before glancing at Warrick, raising one eyebrow. The two men nodded and promptly exchanged slips.

'I'm telling you Rick, another domestic violence case, another time Sara goes off the deep end. There's something not right there man.'

Warrick nodded thoughtfully as he put on his jacket.

'Either that, or she's got the hots for that Willows chick. Have you seen her?'

Warrick whistled and left the room, leaving an amused Nick behind to contemplate both of their theories.

* * *

Sara watched quietly from the doorway as Catherine slept. The rhythmic rising and falling of the redhead's chest was almost hypnotic and Sara had to pull her eyes away from the sleeping figure in order to be able to concentrate. She was halfway out the door when Catherine stirred.

'Don't go. I never got a chance to thank you for earlier.'

Sara contemplated making an excuse so that she could leave, but thought better of it in the end. After all Catherine had been through, she deserved to be kept in the loop.

'You might not want to thank me after what I have to tell you.'

The brunette took a seat beside Catherine's bed, feeling guilty when she noticed the worried look crossing the redhead's features. She looked down at her work boots, unable to look Catherine in the eye as she told her the news.

'Catherine...I'm sorry but we have to let Eddie go tomorrow. The judge says that without any witnesses or evidence it's just his word against yours and it's not enough for a jury. I'm sorry. But listen, I'm still going to protect you from him.'

Sara finally looked up to meet Catherine's eyes, only to be surprised that the redhead was sporting a small smile.

'What's there to smile about?'

Without explaining, Catherine shifted slightly onto her side and pulled her hospital gown back to reveal her bruised ribs. Sara tried unsuccessfully not to become angry at the sight of the damage Eddie had inflicted on the older woman, instead focussing on the spot of skin Catherine was pointing out a few inches below her armpit.

'You'll find that pattern corresponds to the pattern on Eddie's wedding ring. Will that be enough?'

Sara could only stare at the distinct pattern in the bruise, suddenly very aware of the amount of Catherine's skin that was on show. She nodded quickly, allowing Catherine to drop her robe back into place and causing the brunette any further embarrassment by getting caught ogling her witness.

'I'll need to take pictures of that but yeah, it should be enough.'

Catherine nodded and settled back into the bed, watching Sara as the brunette looked at her curiously.

'You ever thought about becoming a CSI?'


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, firstly let me apologise that it has taken me so long to get this out. I was made redundant and the last two weeks have been a mixture of stressing out, looking for a new job, and eventually deciding to mvoe halfway across the country. I wouldn't recommend this to anybody. Also, I need to apologise for this being so short, but I figured anything was better than nothing and I'm moving today so who knows when I'll be able to update again. I hope you're all still interested in this and I'll try not to leave it so long until the next update this time. Oh yeah, and points for anybody who can guess what Sara's better way of getting high is going to be!**

* * *

'Are you sure you're ready for this? You know you don't have to go in there, we have enough for a conviction without your testimony.'

Catherine looked around nervously as she allowed Sara's words to sink in. It was true, she didn't _have _to go into the courthouse and testify against Eddie, but it was something she _needed_ to do. She squinted against the bright morning Vegas sun as she went over what she would say once more in her head. The feeling of Sara's hand resting gently on her arm brought her back to reality and she turned to look into concerned brown eyes.

'That's it. I'm taking you back to PD and I'll wait there with you.'

Sara applied pressure to Catherine's arm in an attempt to pull her back to her car but the redhead would not move from her spot. The CSI felt her companion begin to shake under her grip and became increasingly concerned when she followed the other woman's gaze to see Eddie coming towards the courthouse with his lawyer. As he approached the two women a sly smirk appeared on his face.

'Hi babe, missed me?'

Sara took a protective step in front of Catherine, resting her hand on her gun and sending Eddie what she hoped was a death glare.

'Move on Mr Willows.'

Eddie took one last look at Catherine and laughed cockily before being hauled off by his lawyer. Once they were out of sight Sara whirled around and put a supportive arm around Catherine, who looked like she was about to flee.

'Come on, let's get you away from here.'

Now under control of her emotions, Catherine resisted Sara's gentle pushing again with a defiant shake of her head.

'No. I need to do this. I need to show him I'm not afraid of him anymore.'

Sara looked deeply into Catherine's eyes as if trying to decide whether or not to go with the redhead's wishes or take her back to the police station anyway. Finally she nodded, squeezing Catherine's hand and leading her into the courthouse.

* * *

The doors to the court room burst open and Catherine flew out of them in a blur, colliding with the railings on the balcony overlooking the lobby with such force that Sara was concerned she might have gone toppling over. Reaching the redhead a few seconds later, she stood silently beside the older woman and waited as she tried to get her breathing under control. She heard rather than saw the other people filing out of the room and nodded briefly at Grissom as he passed to let him know she would take care of the struggling woman. Once they were alone in the corridor she turned to mirror Catherine's position, leaning on the railings and watching people as they passed underneath them. They stayed like that in silence for another few minutes until Catherine finally appeared to have calmed down enough to talk.

'Will it really be five years?'

Sara cocked her head as she watched the redhead beginning to tremble again. She had wanted to steer the conversation away from anything related to what had just happened in court but inevitably it seemed Catherine had questions that she wanted answered.

'With good behaviour he could be out in three. But he's being taken to the other side of the country and will be sent straight back for even longer if he ever comes within a mile of you. You're safe. Trust me.'

Catherine nodded and released a deep breath as she processed this news. When she didn't say anything else Sara pushed away from the railing and nodded in the direction of the stairs as a hint that they should get going. When the other woman didn't move, she narrowed her eyes and inspected her body language, looking for a reason why. Catherine was holding on to the steel bar in front of her as if her life depended on it and she was shaking once again.

'I promise you Catherine, you won't be seeing him ever again. It's alright.'

The redhead managed a laugh through gritted teeth and shook her head ever so slightly.

'It's not that.'

Sara moved back beside the older woman, placing a comforting hand on her back. Even through her clothes she could feel the other woman shaking and her clothes were slightly damp from sweating.

'I've not...I've not been..._high_ for a week now. I need it. I need it Sara.'

Sara sighed as she placed her own hands over Catherine's in a feeble attempt at stopping the other woman's trembling. She knew Catherine had been going to a group to help with her addiction, as well as a psychologist and doctor, but it was still no easy task to expect her to give up just like that. There were bound to be bumps in the road, and it appeared that the stress of having to see Eddie being put away had been too much for the redhead today. Wrapping one arm around Catherine, Sara forcibly pulled her towards the exit, squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the struggling woman.

'Come on, I know a better way of getting high that a friend of mine showed me.'


	6. Chapter 6

'Sara, I'm really not sure about this. Sara...SARA!'

Sara had never heard her name screamed with such fear before and she chuckled as the rollercoaster flew across the tracks at breakneck speed. It was obvious by the look of sheer terror on Catherine's face that she either had never been on a ride like this before, I simply hated them with a passion. Both of the redhead's hands were gripping the metal bar holding them safely in place like her life depended on it, her knuckles turning white with the pressure she was exerting on them. As they flew around the last bend of the ride, Catherine's screaming intensified until finally stopping when their carriage began to slow down and make its way back to the station.

Sara leapt out of the carriage as soon as the metal bar lifted and turned to hold out a supportive hand for Catherine. Te redhead however was still staring straight ahead and breathing heavily.

'I take it you don't like rollercoasters huh?'

The brunette chuckled and leaned back down into the ride, grabbing Catherine underneath her armpits and hauling her up and back onto the platform. The older woman simply shook her head, pointing back at the ride as they made their way towards a food stand.

'You...that...I don't...ugh!'

Sara laughed at Catherine's ineloquence as she paid for their food, handing the other woman her hotdog as she squirted a liberal amount of mustard on her own.

'Well look at it this way...you're not thinking about getting high anymore are you?'

Catherine pondered this question for a moment, cocking her head to the side as she studied her new friend. Finally she shook her head and took a huge bite of her hotdog, causing Sara to smile and do the same with her own.

* * *

'You can't be friends with her Sara.'

The voice startled Sara and she looked up from her microscope to find the source, seeing Grissom leaning against the door to the lab with a scowl on his face. Taking a moment to compose herself, Sara place the piece of evidence she had been inspecting back down on the table before leaning back against the table behind her, arms crossed in a defensive stance against the lecture she knew was coming.

'Since when did you pick and choose my friends _Gil_?'

Through the large glass windows in the lab, both CSI's could see Hodges coming down the corridor towards them so halted their conversation as soon as he came within hearing range. Grissom pushed himself off the door frame and stood facing out into the corridor, preventing Hodges from entering the lab. The annoying tech smirked when he saw Grissom standing there and held up some sheets that no doubt held the results for his latest experiment.

'Go find Nicky.'

And with that, Grissom stepped backwards and promptly shut the door in Hodges' face. The lab rat stared at the closed door for a second before frowning and walking back the way he had came. Inside the lab, Sara could not help but smirk at Grissom's actions. She wiped it quickly off her face when he turned around looking even more annoyed than he had previously.

'I'm serious Sara, you can't be friends with her. She's a witness.'

Knocking back the idea that she might want to be even more than friends with this woman, Sara threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

'In case you hadn't noticed Grissom, the case is closed. She's no longer a witness. And she needs my help to get her life back together.'

Grissom's mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to come up with an argument against Sara's logic. Eventually he couldn't seem to think of anything and slid the door to the lab back open, preparing to leave.

'She does drugs. You shouldn't be socialising with people like that.'

Sara sighed, approaching Grissom cautiously so she wouldn't have to say her next sentence too loudly.

'She _used_ to do drugs Gil. Not anymore. And who else does that remind you of?'

Without another word or look in her boss's direction Sara escaped out into the hallway, not stopping until she reached the safety of the locker room. When it became obvious that Grissom wasn't going to follow her in here, she slid down onto her knees with her back to her locker. Resting her head in her hands she let her mind wander to thoughts of Catherine. It wasn't that she disagreed with Grissom entirely. He did have a point to a certain extent. But she didn't like being told what to do on non-work matters. And besides, it wasn't Catherine's past that she was worried that would get her in trouble. It was her growing feelings for the newly single redhead. Just what was she going to do about it?


End file.
